Emma Premium Topper review: The clue’s in the name

Sleeping on an older mattress or one that just doesn’t feel quite ‘right’? Before you go investing in a new mattress outright, getting yourself one of the best mattress toppers could be the ideal solution. You can change the feel of your mattress, as well as making it last a lot longer, for far less than replacing it with one of the best mattresses on the market.

I say a new mattress topper can cost considerably less than a new mattress but, in the case of the Emma Premium Topper, that’s not necessarily true. At £515 (RRP) for a king size, this is one of the most expensive toppers we’ve tested. Made of foam, the Emma Premium Topper is full of clever features to help you sleep well at night and prevent you from overheating. But does it live up to the hype, and is it worth the price?

Emma Premium Topper review: What do you get for the money?

At 9cm deep, the Emma Premium Topper means serious business and is the thickest mattress topper we’ve tested to date. Its construction consists of two layers of different foam, alongside a breathable cover.

The top layer of foam uses “ThermoSync” technology, with a graphite coating designed to absorb body heat and draw it away from the body for temperature regulation, keeping hot sleepers cool at night. Underneath this is a layer of comfort foam designed for pressure relief. The topper is wrapped in a breathable cover, which is machine washable  – but I’d still recommend using a waterproof mattress protector to help keep it free from stains and spillages. Like many mattress and topper covers, this is textured with small indents all over it, but you’ll be pleased to hear you can’t feel these when you’re lying on the topper.

With prices starting at £329 for a single topper, the Emma Premium Topper certainly isn’t a budget buy. But you’ll get a huge amount of padding and excellent support for the money, plus this is another topper that did a good job of regulating temperature and preventing overheating (more on this below). You’ll also get a 100-night trial, 10-year guarantee and free delivery and returns.

Emma Premium Topper review: What did we like?

I normally shy away from deeper toppers, particularly if they’re made from memory foam, as I find that you can end up feeling somewhat smothered. But, despite it being a whopping 9cm deep, I didn’t feel enveloped by the Emma Premium Topper at all. There is plenty of cushioning, but this felt more like a gentle moulding around the body rather than full-on sinkage into the foam.

Like the best memory foam mattress toppers, the Emma Premium Topper adds an extra layer of comfort to your bed, which could be particularly useful if your mattress is a touch too firm, or is starting to show its age. It contoured nicely around my pressure points, and I felt it offered some real support and moulding around the lumbar region. If you’re a fan of the moulding of memory foam, but still value some support, this topper could be a good match. Ultimately, I’d recommend it to side sleepers in particular, as well as lightweight and back sleepers of average weight.

I really liked the two separate layers of foam. As well as making the topper feel more luxurious, I found that this construction helped keep the topper cool and comfortable overnight: a decent feat for a topper so thick. Admittedly, I’m fairly reptilian body temperature-wise, but my husband is a hot sleeper. He found the topper never made him feel too warm and, as an added bonus, it didn’t make me feel too cold either. I’d say that the Emma Premium Topper easily does as good a job as the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Mattress Topper when it comes to keeping sleepers cool.

Of course, this is still an all-foam topper and will inevitably get warmer than non-foam options. With this said, if you’re a really hot sleeper I’d recommend considering the Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper instead, as its layer of coils will help to keep air moving.

As you’d expect from a foam topper, the Emma also did an excellent job of isolating motion, and I didn’t feel any restless disturbances from my partner during the night. It also fitted right to the edges of our mattress, meaning there were no small gaps to slide off into: something that can be quite irritating with other toppers.

The Emma Premium Topper comes with an extremely generous 100-night trial, which is an amount of time more normally associated with bed-in-a-box mattresses. This will give you a chance to really live with the topper and to see whether it’s right for you. There’s also a 10-year warranty as well as free delivery and returns.   

Emma Premium Topper review: How can it be improved?

The biggest issue with the Emma Premium Topper is the price. This is a high-quality mattress topper that’s worth the investment in many ways, but there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a pricey purchase. Of course, there is the chance that you’ll be able to find it discounted during peak deals seasons such as Black Friday and Christmas. However, it is also worth noting that you can pick up a full mattress for less than the price of this topper – for instance, one of our favourite budget foam mattresses, the Dormeo Memory Plus, starts from £230.

Although the Emma Premium Topper offers good support, it’s still an all-foam topper, so you will feel some contouring and moulding. It’s not oppressive, but memory foam isn’t for everyone. In general, I wouldn’t recommend the topper to those that sleep on their fronts as they’re likely to sink too far to have enough support around the hips. I also think that heavier back sleepers may also sink in too far to maintain optimal spinal alignment. If this is you, you might be better off with a firmer topper, such as the Dormeo Octasmart Essentials that’s featured in our best mattress toppers round up.

Emma Premium Topper review: Should you buy it?

The Emma Premium Topper undoubtedly offers high levels of comfort, along with excellent temperature regulation. It’s a great solution to a mattress that’s a little too firm and I think it could extend the lifespan of an older mattress quite considerably as it’s so thick. As I mentioned, I think side sleepers in particular will love the extra cushioning at their pressure points, while there’s still enough support to keep the spine correctly aligned.

However, it’s very difficult to ignore the high RRP of the topper, particularly when you could buy a whole new mattress for a similar price. As I mentioned, there’s the chance that you’ll be able to get it at a discount, and the safety net of a 100-night trial takes some of the risk out of the purchase, but there’s no denying that this Premium topper comes with a premium price. And, of course, you could pick up a mattress for less than the cost of this topper. If your mattress is really starting to show its age, I’d be tempted to just invest in a new mattress for this sort of money. But if your new mattress needs some softening up or you’re a side sleeper looking for extra comfort, the Premium Topper may be worth the investment.